Chakba-Chakbi / चकबा-चकबी

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis
Transcription and Translation by Pranav Prakash

Teller: Abha Das
Location: Ranti
Date: 9/12/16

September 12, 2016: Session A1
Maithili Folklore 16_09_12_a_1

View the transcription in Maithili.

वैह तऽ कहेछिये…जेना हम चाची सब…सुन्बेछियै…चकबा-चकबी के खिस्सा ।[ …हाँऽऽ वैहऽ ओ… ]
– [ …हाँऽऽ वैहऽ ओ… ]
– [ कहू, कहू । ]

That’s what I am telling…like we – all aunts – recount…the tale of Cakbā and Cakbī.
– [ …yes, that’s the one… ]
– [ …tell, tell… ]

ओ पक्षी रहै दूटा, चिड़इ रहै । तऽ ओ अपन दिन भर गाछ पर में उड़े अपन, आ एके गाछ पर दुनु बिश्राम करै । हँ…पति-पत्नी रहै त एकै गाछ पर बिश्राम करै । जे माँग-चाँग क आने, अपन, मने, अथि-तथि कॅ क, चुन-चाएन क, ओ अपन खाए, ओकरा दुनु मिल क ।

There were two birds, they were birds. So, they would roam around on the tree, and they would rest on the same tree. Yes…they were husband and wife, so they rested together on the same tree. Whatever they begged and grabbed in the day, that is, whatever they could pick and gather during the day, they used to eat them together, both ate together.

एकटा साधु रहथिन । ओ अपन…माँग-चाँग क उहो…गरीब रहथिन…बहुत गरीब । हुन्का कोइ ने रहेन…मने, बाल-बच्चा, पत्नी, कोइ ने रहेन । त भीख-उख माँग क आनथिन, अ ओ खाथिन अपन…माँग-चाँग क जे भेटेन, त से आनथिन । बाबा रहथिन, त हुन्का संग में एकटा कमंडल रहेन, छत्ता रहेन, पान-तान दुआरे अपन । त ओ न से ओइ गाछ तड़ में आयब क बिश्राम करथिन । त अपन…अथि…चद्देर बिछा लेलौं, गमछीए बिछा क, ओय पर अपन सुत रहथिन ।

There was a holy man. He…would beg as well…he was poor…very poor. He had no one…, that is, no children, no wife…he had no one. So he would beg and scrounge for food, and bring back with himself whatever he could get, and he would eat it…whatever begging he could collect, he would bring it for himself. Since he was a holy man, he carried a water-jar, an umbrella, for the sake of protecting himself from rains and other things. He used to go in the shade of that tree and get some rest. He used to spread his…his bed sheet, after spreading a thin towel, and he used to sleep on it.

त ई दुनु जे अपना में मगन रहथिन । त इ नै बुझथिन जे ऐय गाछ तड़ में साधु सुतल छै, बिश्राम करैछे । चकबा-चकबी नै बुझथिन । इ कि करथिन बात-चीत केरते-केरते जेना जूठ जे होइय, लोक चीबा के फेक देयछे, ओ फेक दथिन अपन । टहनी सब तोड़-तोड़ क – बात-चीत में हम-ही आहाँ मशगूल रहे छी, त आगू आस-पास के, नै लोक क नज़र आबे छे जे कत की भौ रहल छै, ने भौ रहल छै – तेहना हुन्का दुनु के नज़र ने अबै । त ओ कि करथिन तोड़-तोड़ के टहनी, सबटा हुन्का देह पर खसाए दॅथिन ।

On their part, these two birds were occupied with each other. They did not notice that there was a holy man sleeping under the same tree, he was resting there.  Cakbā and Cakbī were not aware of his presence. What they did is that they used to throw away the discarded food – the leftover of the food which people cast away after chewing its essence – during their conversations and let it fall under the tree. When we all are engrossed in a conversation, we don’t notice what lies around us. In that state, people do not pay attention to what is or isn’t happening around them. Likewise, they were unaware of the holy man while they plucked the twigs of the tree, and dropped its pieces below. While they acted in this way, and dropped their twigs and branchlets below, all of their trash fell on the body of the holy man.

ओ ब्राह्मण अपन किछु दिन देखला । मने, पन्द्रह दिन, महीना दिन, देखलखिन जे, “इ दुनु पशु पक्षी हमरा देखै नै ऐच्छ नीचाँ में, एकरा कोनो इ नै छै, हम एतै थाकल हारल रहे छी । हमरा दु गाम चार गाम में होएछे, त एते हमरा दाना भेटैय । उहो हम बड़ कै क खाएछी, राएत विश्राम करैछी । अ इ दुनु हमरा देह पर, जूठ खसा दै यऽ, अ अथि कॅ दै य । त से ने जे, “हम एकरा आब श्राप दॅ देबै ।” हाँ…त फेर सोच्थिन कि, “ने, आए ने देबै श्राप । इहो त जानब…मने पशु-ए-पक्षी छीयै न, माँग-ए-चाँग के कतौ से अपन बीछ कॅ नोच कॅ खायेछे त रहैछे ।” लेकिन जखन हीन्का अति भौ गेलैन, बर्दाश्त स…ब…फाजुल, त इ ओकरा श्राप दॅ देलखिन, चकबा चकबी के…, “तो सब दिन भेर…मने…रहबे साथ में, लेकिन रात कॅ तोरा दुनु पति पत्नी के…से अलग…भौ गेला पड़तो । हम इ श्राप दै छीयो तोरा ।”

That Brahmin watched their behavior for a few days. That is, for fifteen days, may be a month, and he observed, “These two animals/birds do not see that I am staying below, they have no regards for me, I am usually so tired and exhausted. I have to wander in two to four villages, then I am able to procure some grains. That too, I consume very cautiously, and I rest in the night. And these two birds drop their castaway food on me, they let their droppings fall on me. If they don’t stop, I must act, “I must curse them now.” So…he again considered, “No, I should not curse them today. Afterall they are anima…that is, they too are animals and birds, they too beg and scrounge for food so that they may survive.” But when he could not take it anymore, he could not endure…their abuse anymore, then he cursed them, he cursed Cakbā and Cakbī…, “You all will be together…that is…stay together in the day, but you both…husband and wife…will have to be separated at night. I am spelling this curse on you.”

त चकबा-चकबी…जखने रात में आएल…त राएते क लोग बिश्राम करैछे । त तै दुआरा पति पत्नी त खासकर । त हुन्का उ श्राप पड़ गेलैन, मुनि के…अथि के…साधु के । त उ दिन भर अपन चॅरी करै छथिन, दिन भर दुनु साथ रहे छथिन, लेकिन इ रात में एक साथ ने रहै छथिन । उ साधु के हुन्का श्राप पड़ गेलै, चकबा-चकबी के ।

Then Cakbā and Cakbī…when they arrived in the night…It is at night that people get some rest. This is particularly so for husbands and wives. But they were cursed thus by an ascetic…that is…a holy man. So they roam around in the day, they are together in the day, but they do not stay together at night. The curse of that holy man affected their lives, that is, of Cakbā and Cakbī. 

– [ खतम भौ गेलै ? ]

– [ Is it over? ]

हाँ ।

Yes.

वैह मुनि श्राप…त…उहो…साधु श्राप दॅ देलखिन्ह उनका । ओना एकटा किस्सा छै नल अ दमयन्ती रानी के, त उ त खिस्सा बड़की-टा छै आहाँ के ।

That is, the curse of the holy man…that…he…the holy man cast a curse on them. Well, there is another story as well, that is of Nal and Damyantī. But, you see, it is quite a lengthy story.

– [ कहूँ कहूँ । ]

– [ Tell, tell. ]